And all because
Estate Managers
love...
...complex refurbishment projects being
made more manageable by scheduling
work for optimum convenience!
Co-ordinating trades, disruption for students, access to rooms,
and mess are just four of the reasons why the decision to upgrade student
accommodation heating systems may be kicked into the long grass.
But this means losing out on the energy cost savings and other
benefits associated with installing Prefectirus - the only cost effective,
centrally controlled, multi-occupancy energy management system,
from Prefect Controls.
Accommodation refurbs are usually scheduled for when rooms are
vacant, but this can cause ‘trades congestion’. PrefectDirect has
honed its service so that they are in and out of rooms swiftly, at any time,
leaving most students unaware any work has been carried out - meaning
refurbishment work that does require empty rooms, such as decorating,
can be scheduled, uninterrupted, for the summer months.

s schools and academies across the
country find ways to save money
due to budget cuts, a Cumbrian
Academy has achieved staggering savings
on its energy bills.
West Lakes Academy in Egremont,
Cumbria, which opened in 2008, provides
education to children from 11 to 18 years
old. In 2012 they moved to brand new
purpose-built facilities, but have since faced

a near £100k refund from

years battling with their
energy supplier, who was
charging them for energy
on demolished
outbuildings.
Orchard Energy, was called in to
negotiate with the supplier. They conducted
an initial desktop analysis, checking bills
for any allowances due, benchmarking
consumption against industry averages,
as well as checking if surface water
was connected and if the area banding
was correct.
Orchard Energy’s water experts identified
a possible surface water non-connection at
the site. During a visit, they lifted lids to
confirm the direction surface water was
travelling, looked at a watercourse nearby
and surrounding areas to ascertain where
the surface water discharged to, and
confirmed the findings.
The team also gathered further
information such as drainage plans,
planning applications and rateable value
data, then collated the data to submit
to the supplier.

energy overcharges
Following various on-site meetings
with the supplier and an initial rejection,
Orchard Energy was also able to clarify that
the demolished outbuildings on the new
academy site were not the responsibility
of the client.
Once processed, the claim saved
the academy a staggering £21,091 per
annum. It also received a healthy refund
of £93,734.52.
Stephen Lester, business manager
from West Lakes Academy, said: “Using
Orchard Energy’s negotiating expertise and
knowledge of the market, meant that areas
where we were haemorrhaging money with
water were identified.
www.orchardenergy.co.uk

The UK must embrace heat networks
to deliver 81,000 new jobs a year and
unlock £22 billion investment

A

new report by IPPR, the progressive
policy think tank, finds that heat
networks could radically change the
way we heat our homes and businesses.
Heat networks supply lots of building
from one local ‘heat generation’ site. This is
a very different approach to the individual
gas boilers that most people have in their
homes at present.
They are already common across
many parts of the world, for example, in
Scandinavia and other parts of Europe.
Importantly they can be fed by a number of
different heat sources, providing flexibility
in the transition towards decarbonising the
heat sector and moving away from a system
that still heavily relies on imported gas.
In the UK, low-carbon heating for our
buildings has fallen well behind
decarbonisation of our electricity system.
IPPR argues that heat networks are an
important part of the puzzle, could serve at
least 10 per cent of total heat demand by
2030, and provide up to 81,000 jobs a year

Central and Local Government action
needed to deliver infrastructure revolution
and kick-start heat decarbonisation
and £22 billion of private investment in the
UK economy in the process.
To unlock this potential IPPR are calling
on the government to add specific
commitments for action to the UK’s
proposed Industrial Strategy:
•
Expand the resources of the Heat
Networks Delivery Unit;
•
Guarantee the current funding until
2030 for the Heat Networks
Investment Programme to give
certainty to other investors;
•
Provide Ofgem style frameworks
for the pricing of heat through
the networks;
•
Work with local and regional
governments to develop heat plans.

Energy Manager Magazine • April 2017

Josh Emden, IPPR research fellow said:
“If the UK is going to reduce carbon
emissions from heating, then heat networks
will need to be an important part of the mix
of technologies we use in future.
“Coordinated action between Central and
Local Governments could go a long way in
supporting this sector’s development.
“With up to 81,000 jobs at stake, this is
exactly the kind of opportunity that should
align with what the government’s industrial
strategy is trying to achieve.”
R.Malone@ippr.org

Other announcements made at the Forum include a new initiative to unlock private
capital for energy access and Government of Chile reveal energy strategy to tackle air
pollution

T

he Sustainable Energy for All Forum
kicked off with global leaders from
government, business and civil
society uniting to push for greater urgency
and action in achieving universal access to
clean, affordable energy - and the historic
economic opportunity closing this energy
access gap offers.
This renewed call came after the launch
of the latest Global Tracking Framework
during the opening day of the Forum.
Data showing the latest progress to three
global energy goals – access to electricity,
renewable energy and efficiency – shows
we are not moving fast enough to reach
our 2030 targets.
The report, led by the World Bank Group
and the International Energy Agency as
part of the Sustainable Energy for All
Knowledge Hub, showed that the current
rate of increase in people getting access
to electricity started to slow down during
its reporting period, and if this trend is not
reversed, projections are that the world will
only reach 92% electrification by 2030, still
short of the universal access target, part of
Sustainable Development Goal 7.
To allow progress to move at the speed
and scale we need, the Global Tracking
Framework estimates that renewable
energy investment would need to increase
by a factor of 2-3, energy efficiency by
a factor of 3-6 and a five-fold investment
increase is needed to reach universal
access by 2030.
Opening the event, Rachel Kyte, Chief
Executive Officer of Sustainable Energy
for All and Special Representative of the
UN Secretary-General for Sustainable
Energy for All (SEforALL), said: “The energy
transition underway offers us the greatest
economic opportunity of our lifetime, but
this evidence brings home the need for a
much greater sense of urgency. While we
can point to successes - with countries,

cities, communities and companies
changing course all around the world the collective rate of progress is not yet fast
enough. The missing ingredient in many
parts of the world is political leadership.
The good news is that this new helps
direct us to data where we need to act to
have the greatest impact. If we do, we can
turn the steady progress we’re seeing
today to the transformative progress we
need tomorrow.”
As well as political leadership, businesses
remain a critical sector in accelerating
progress and action towards sustainable
energy. Enel, the multinational energy
company, revealed plans around a new
SEforALL Electrification Accelerator – an
initiative which will actively work towards
driving electrification efforts that support
global access to affordable, reliable and
modern energy services.
Speaking at the event, Francesco Starace,
Chief Executive Officer and General
Manager at Enel, said: “I am very proud to
announce today’s signing of our
partnership agreement with Sustainable
Energy for All through which we will work
to support the UN Secretary General and
SEforALL in enhancing efforts to enable
further electrification and ensure universal
access to affordable, reliable and modern
energy services. This partnership will lay
the ground
for the creation of a SEforALL
Electrification Accelerator in which Enel
will contribute its expertise and drive the
development of mini-grids, e-mobility and
the digitization of the networks.
“We have made significant progress since
committing to contribute to four of the UN’s
17 Sustainable Development Goals set in
2015, carrying out projects that have
transformed the lives of hundreds of
thousands of people around the world.
Some of these projects have seen the

creation of off-grid systems using hybrid
solutions, the setting up of IT hubs in
remote and poor areas to promote access
to education and recycling initiatives that
offer consumers electricity bill discounts,
not to mention the work we have carried
out to fight fuel poverty. We are strongly
committed to continuing on this path and
enabling the inclusion of these people, in
order to facilitate access to electricity - a
fundamental right.”
The Microgrid Investment Accelerator
(MIA), a new initiative from a consortium
of partners to support unlocking private
capital for energy access, was also launched
during the Forum opening day. This first of
its kind financing facility seeks to mobilize
~$50 million via public-private partnerships
between 2018 and 2020 to expand energy
access to communities that currently lack
reliable access to modern energy services
in India, Indonesia and East Africa.
A new district energy strategy to tackle
air pollution and improve air quality from
the Government of Chile, following close
collaboration with UN Environment’s
public-private partnership, “District Energy
in Cities Initiative”, was also launched with
the support from the Global Environment
Facility (GEF), Government of Denmark and
the Danfoss Foundation.
Members of the EP100 campaign - that
works with the world’s most influential
businesses on increasing energy
productivity - also announced that the
South African retail store chain, Woolworths,
has joined the campaign and committed to
double their energy productivity by 2020.
Now in its third edition, the Forum
welcomed over 1,500 delegates from 110
countries to Brooklyn, New York. Over 75
sessions and 10 announcements will be
made throughout the three-days.

Energy Manager Magazine • April 2017

News

Re-using Carbon Dioxide Could Boost
Scottish Economy Says New Study
•

4.3 million tonnes of CO2 could
be captured in Scotland
•
Grangemouth region most suited to
become carbon dioxide utilisation hub
•
Scotland has key advantages and
opportunity to explore and develop its
carbon dioxide resources
A new report published by the
University of Sheffield outlines how the
re-use of carbon dioxide (CO2) could help
Scotland shift to a more sustainable and
circular economy.
The report titled ‘Actions required to
develop a roadmap towards a Carbon
Dioxide Utilisation Strategy for Scotland
(2016)’, was commissioned by Scottish
Enterprise to provide an overview of
whether the re-use of CO2 could hold
potential for Scotland and to recommend a
number of actions to develop the sector.
The CO2 emissions from Scotland are
predominantly from the use of fossil fuels
from industrial sectors such as Oil and Gas,
Paper and Wood and energy from waste.
In previous years these large emitters
produced 10 million tonnes per year, of
which 4.3 million tonnes were identified in
the report as having potential for capture.
Interest also lies with significant levels
of biogenic CO2 which is released as a
by-product of the fermentation of malted
barley in the Scotch Whisky sector -

estimated to be in the region of 500,000
tonnes each year.
The study suggests that the
Grangemouth region is the location most
suited to create a CO2 utilisation hub on a
large industrial scale. It is the largest
manufacturing region in Scotland and host
to ten of the largest CO2 emitters. However,
the report makes clear that the
development of the CO2 re-use sector
should not be seen as a substitute for the
development of a Carbon Capture and
Storage sector.
The principal author of the study Dr
Grant Wilson from the Department of
Chemical and Biological Engineering at the
University of Sheffield commented;
“For most countries and policy makers
around the world, carbon dioxide is viewed
only as a problem that needs to be
controlled. However, with the ongoing
development of novel technologies and
processes for the re-use of CO2 it is also
starting to be viewed as a potential
resource that could be exploited.”
“This report identifies that Scotland has a
unique combination of key advantages and
a real opportunity to explore and develop
its carbon dioxide resources. It is also
important to note that it is one of the first
countries in the world to even consider the
creation of a roadmap for the re-use of its

carbon dioxide, in essence to view CO2 as
a resource.”
“This provides a very powerful message
in terms of Scotland’s belief in considering
all available options to decouple its future
economic activity from emissions.”
The report presented a case study with
a potential to be scaled up to a £500m
market, sustaining 600 new jobs and a
new Scottish export by utilising innovative
UK technology to convert the estimated
500,000 tonnes of distillery sector (biogenic
CO2) into inorganic fertiliser.
The development of this technology
could be of interest to Scotland as a way to
help decarbonise part of the agricultural
sector through the introduction of
inorganic fertiliser that is not derived from
fossil fuels. The Scottish Government
recently published their latest Climate
Change Plan and Energy Strategy for
consultation, which mentions carbon
dioxide re-use and carbon capture and
storage as areas of potential development.
Although the University of Sheffield
report found that Scotland holds a number
of key advantages to develop a carbon
dioxide re-use sector, there are several
areas of uncertainty that would benefit
from more detailed analysis.
p.strafford@sheffield.ac.uk

£290 million boost for
clean energy in Britain
R
enewable energy developers will
compete for £290m worth of
contracts to support the growth
of clean energy in Britain, as the second
Contracts for Difference auction launched
on 4 April 2017.
Contracts for Difference are won through
a competitive process which drives down
energy costs for consumers and
guarantees companies a certain price for
the low-carbon electricity they produce
over 15 years. This gives them the support
and certainty they need to attract
investment and get projects off the ground.
The contracts made available today
represent the first part of the Government’s
commitment to provide up to £730m of

annual support for renewable electricity
projects over the course of this parliament.
They support a key pillar of the Industrial
Strategy by ensuring a cleaner, more f
lexible energy supply.
Energy Minister Jesse Norman said: “This
auction underlines that Britain is open for
business to companies seeking to invest in
low carbon energy.
“It is designed to deliver clean power to
a million homes, create jobs in the energy
industry and provide new supply chain
opportunities, while reducing carbon
emissions by some 2.5 million tonnes
per year.”
The scheme is funded through a levy
which forms a part of energy bills and only

Energy Manager Magazine • April 2017

projects that offer the best value for money
will win contracts. There is no cost on
energy bills until projects are up and
running and generating low-carbon energy.
The auction process starts today and
will continue over the coming months. It is
expected to draw to a close by the autumn,
when the winners of the auction and final
clearing prices will be announced.
There has been £52bn of investment in
renewable energy in the UK since 2010,
and for the first time ever exactly half of
the UK’s electricity came from low carbon
sources in the third quarter of 2016. The
latest contracts will help the UK build on
this success.

n innovative energy saving
scheme aimed at students has
been recognised for its efforts at
the recent South Wales Business
Growth Awards.
The Student Energy Project (TSEP) from
amber energy won the Green Business
Award which recognises the commitment
that is made to developing and sustaining
environmentally friendly business practices.
Speaking of the award, amber energy
CEO Nick Proctor said: “What an honour.
This award recognises all the hard work
that universities, students and
accommodation providers are doing to
change perceptions around energy use in
the university setting. It is important for us
all to inspire the next generation to lead a
more sustainable life and develop the right
habits to take with them into the future. We
managed to beat some strong finalists; well
done to all the team that made it possible!”
Penarth Management, a Cardiff-based
compliance consultancy, sponsored the

award and director Jodie Read said: “TSEP
won the award because they clearly
explained how the scheme has influenced
behaviour and set about changing culture
within the student population. Achieving
and sustaining the right attitude towards
having a minimal environmental footprint is
one of the hardest things to achieve within
business. From the submission alone, it
was clear that sustainability is a way of life
for TSEP.”
Mrs Read explained how TSEP and
amber energy had set an example to
other businesses and highlighted the
importance of having projects and
processes in place which encourage
sustainability: “Organisations like amber
energy that aim to enable others to
minimise their impact on the environment
will almost certainly help organisations to
save money compared to those that lack
efficient systems. Put simply, it equates to
greater profits.
“Aside from the financial aspect, it sends

a positive impression to customers who
may be having to decide which new
supplier to engage. Having an
environmental management system (such
as ISO14001) assessed by a United
Kingdom Accreditation Service(UKAS)
accredited certification body sends a strong
message to prospective new customers
that your business takes its environmental
commitment seriously.”
On the South Wales Business Growth
Awards, Mrs Read said: “This is the second
year the awards have taken place. The
calibre of applicants has been consistently
high. Penarth Management will certainly
look to continue its close affinity with the
awards in the coming years.”
Penarth Management was established
in 1975 and serves to make businesses
better, greener and safer by implementing
and sustaining quality, environmental and
health and safety standards.
info@penarth.co.uk

Emerging Disruptive Trends and
Technologies Top UK Energy Agenda

A

new survey highlights shifting
priorities in the energy sector with
an increasing impetus towards
a lower carbon future. Disruptive
technologies including renewable energies
and energy efficiency are impacting top
action priorities for energy leaders
globally in 2017.
Renewables ranked high in impact
within every region identified in a survey
of more than 1,200 energy leaders in 95
countries. Solar has seen immense growth
in installed capacity reaching 227GW by
the end of 2015, while global wind power
generation capacity increased at a rate
of 17.2% in 2015.
The UK’s commitment to
decarbonisation, aided by one of the
best wind resource and tidal potential in
Europe, has led to a substantial growth in
renewable energy. In 2015 the UK’s GHG
emissions fell below 500 million tonnes for
the first time as renewables hit a record
25% of electricity generation due to
increased renewable capacity.
In its eighth year, World Energy Issues
Monitor 2017: ‘Exposing the New Energy
Realities’ published by the World Energy

Council, provides a snapshot of the current
priorities, facing global energy leaders.
Dr Christoph Frei, Secretary General of
the Council said: “Our survey shows that
energy leaders face and acknowledge
disruptive change. The Issues Monitor
illustrates that innovation issues such as
digitalisation, decentralisation, innovative
market design or electric storage rapidly
gain traction, while a more difficult growth
context and new physical and digital risks
are posing ever greater threats to the
energy sector. Today defining the energy
agenda globally, five years ago these issues
were far from being a priority.”
Other findings in 2017 include:
•
New physical and virtual risks –
Cyber-attacks are posing ever greater
threats to the energy sector. If a
critical attack was to occur on the
electricity distribution network of
London and the South and East of
England between 9 million and 13
million electricity consumers could be
affected with economic losses ranging
from £11.6 billion to £85.5 billion
•
Commodity price volatility remains
number one critical uncertainty.

Compared to 2015 the issue of
commodity prices in 2016 and 2017
is seen as less uncertain but higher in
impact, by UK energy leaders
Since the Council’s 2016 World Issues
Monitor report, the UK’s decision to leave
the European Union has created ambiguity
surrounding the UK’s future participation in
schemes such as the Energy Union project.
Uncertainty concerning continued funding
from the European Investment Bank and
around regulation such as EU State aid
rules, the 15% interconnection target by
2030, the Renewable Energy Directive as
well as the EU Industrial Emissions
Directive 2010.
The report will be officially launched in
Washington and Japan on 6 April, followed
by further presentations at regional events
being held. It will also be sent to
government ministries in more than 90
countries and will be previewed at the
United Nations Sustainable Energy for All
Forum in New York on 4 April.
www.worldenergy.org/publications/
2017/2017-world-energy-issues-monitor/

Energy Manager Magazine • April 2017

Opinion

European buildings
can save the day

I

t’s time to wake up a sleeping giant.
A new study shows that buildings in
Europe hold an enormous potential,
when it comes to energy savings. We
can unlock the opportunities hidden
behind concrete, glass and steel – and
create massive savings, jobs and better
places to live.
The buildings where you sleep, eat,
shop, learn and work hold a huge
opportunity: EUR 67 billion savings on
energy bills for EU citizens annually in 2030,
and a reduction in emissions of 156 Mt. CO2
- equivalent to those of 82 million cars.
These groundbreaking results are
presented in a new study, just released by
energy consultancy Ecofys. The report,
initiated by Danfoss, provides proof of the
huge energy savings potential that can
be obtained from better management of
energy flows inside European buildings.
A potential that has been insufficiently
exploited.
We spend most of our time in
buildings. It is, therefore, no surprise that
buildings consume a large amount of
energy. But 75% of our housing stock is
energy-inefficient. Most of the vast
amounts of energy is used to maintain the
right temperature and air quality in heating,
cooling and ventilation systems– collectively
known as a technical building system.

When these systems are not working
optimally, energy goes to waste, they cost
money and cause damage to the health
and the environment. But we have the
technologies to prevent this. Consistent
improvements could help reduce energy
waste, cut costs and make our buildings
better places to be. The report assesses a
scenario where buildings are renovated in
the period until 2030. The energy
consumption in these buildings could be
reduced by around 30% through upgrades
to heating, cooling, ventilation, lighting and
hot water systems.
”We have all the technologies at hand
to make our buildings smart. Taking the
findings of the new Ecofys study into
account, we see that optimizing the control
of energy flows inside buildings and
leveraging new technologies, like
digitalization, could deliver around 15%
of the EU 2030 energy efficiency target.
Political support is needed to remove
barriers and accelerate the speed and scale
of the investments. This will send the right
market signals for innovation, jobs and
sustainable growth,” says Andre
Borouchaki, Senior Vice President and
CTO, Danfoss.
According to calculations based on
the World Resources Institute’s report,
Accelerating Building Efficiency, from 2016,
reaching 15% of the EU 2030 energy

efficiency target will create 300,000
new jobs.
The only way to significantly improve
building energy efficiency is to focus on
existing buildings. Nine out of ten of
existing buildings in the EU will be occupied
by 2050. Renovation of our building stock
is more affordable than many currently
believe. The investment cost for basic
improvements of controls of energy flows
inside buildings is low, and the payback
time is two years to get the basics right. The
energy costs we can save annually, mostly
from not importing gas from third
countries, could be invested in Europe
instead, providing additional comfort and
well-being for EU citizens.
“The consistent optimization of the
energy use of technical building systems
in existing buildings across Europe should
start now,” says Dr. Andreas Hermelink,
Associate Director at Ecofys, a Navigant
Company. “We are talking about no-regret
measures that can quickly deliver very
significant reductions of energy
consumption, energy bills and CO2
emissions. The revision of the Energy
Performance of Buildings Directive should
give a strong and effective push for
unleashing the full cost-effective savings
potential of technical building systems.”

Opinion

Five issues to look for in
the energy market in 2017

T

here’s no doubt that things are
changing in the energy market.
There has been a continuation
of market changes, as well as
uncertainty following the EU
referendum. Now that 2017 has started,
it’s time to look ahead at what may be in
store for the energy market for the next
12 months and beyond.
Paul Akrill, Business Development
Director at IMServ, one of the UK’s largest
independent energy data management
providers, thinks that 2017 may be one
of the most exciting years in the energy
market and discusses what he believes will

1.

2.
3.

disrupt the market this year.
“The concepts that underpin the energy
market have remained unchanged for the
last 100 years or so,” commented Paul.
“We are seeing a fundamental shift from a
centrally provided and controlled operating
model where generators produce energy
and consumers use it, to a much more
flexible and dynamic model that will see
massive change and innovation in the next
10 years. Business users are becoming
increasingly savvy when it comes to their
energy usage and their role within the
energy market. We have increasingly seen
that they are not solely the end users

Tariffs will become more innovative
The implementation of mandatory half-hourly
settlement to a new segment of the business
market brings savings for larger businesses
through more accurate settlement. As businesses
get a better handle on their energy usage,
energy suppliers will start adjusting their tariffs
to align with this type of measurement. “Peak”
and “Off-Peak” will become much more granular
in nature and allow businesses to balance their
usage against working hours and energy cost. The
industry is working on removing the barriers to
half-hourly settlement to be cost effective for even
smaller sites and is considering whether it should
be mandatory for all sites in time.

Homes and businesses will become
more connected
As the technology for connected smart buildings
and homes improves, it becomes more available
and accessible to everyone. Smart metering
rollout, demand side response, lower cost
control technology and energy storage are all
enabling mechanisms and technologies to
make this happen.

New energy suppliers will enter
the market
As the Ofgem Retail Energy Markets in 2016 report
highlighted, the big six (British Gas, EDF, E.ON,
Npower, ScottishPower and SSE), have continued
to lose market share to new suppliers entering the
market. Although they still dominate this area (with
their market share an average of 86% of the
domestic market, and 68% of the non-domestic
market), there is every reason to think that this
trend will continue. New innovative suppliers
are entering the market, bringing demand-side
response, digital service models,
half-hourly settlement, greater choice
and better tariffs to the end-user.

4.
5.

anymore, but also are taking a greater role
in the capacity market and supplying energy
back to the national grid.”
He continues, “The energy market is
undergoing unprecedented levels of
change and we will see that continue for
some time to come. There have been new
services entering the market, new ways of
generating power, new business models,
and this is just the start.”
Paul believes that these are the main
factors to disrupt the energy marketing
over the coming years:

The capacity market and services around
it will continue to grow
Launched in 2014, the Capacity Market is one of
the main mechanisms used to ensure that
electricity remains available during times of high
demand, such as on cold winter evenings. It has
presented a commercial opportunity for
businesses by allowing them to receive revenue
for a commitment to reduce their power demands
from the grid during times of system stress.

Faster switching
The industry is committed to improving supplier
switching for both domestic and business
customers making it reliable, faster and cost
effective. Whilst full delivery of such a programme
is still several years away, the options are getting
very detailed and consultation on the proposed
design is underway.
“Whilst many of these areas are significant changes
when viewed alone, when looked at as a whole, we
can see that the energy market of the future will be
a very different place to the energy market today.
There are more people employed and engaged in
changing the industry than ever before, and there
isn’t any sign of this slowing down. Smart metering
will lead to better engagement across the board,
but the technology and services around it are still
innovating and this is where the real gems that will
change the consumer experience lie. End users
should be encouraged to use energy at the right
times, and in the right way, to move us all to a
more sustainable future.”

Energy Manager Magazine • April 2017

Energy Management

Major losses with a simple
solution to improving
energy efficiency

I

n a world where Energy isn’t getting
any cheaper and where its
generation and use is subject to ever
increasing environmental scrutiny
and legislative requirement, the
pressure on us to not only use it
efficiently, but also to not waste it, is
growing year on year.

insulation may reduce the overall
efficiency from source to end by up to
50%, with an additional 10% to 20% in flue
losses. On a positive note, the US
Department of Energy estimates that
following up on the findings of an energy
audit of a building’s envelope saves most
facilities at least 15% on energy bills.

Reports by the Carbon Trust have
shown that up to 20% of a business’s
energy costs are due to wasted energy
caused by inefficient equipment. So, there
are likely to be huge opportunities to save
money, especially for larger organisations.

Apart from being motivated to find
these losses and fix them, by the obvious
financial savings, large businesses need
to comply with the statutory regulation
“The Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme
(ESOS)”. In this case a large business is
defined as one that employs 250 or more
people or has an annual turnover in excess
of £39m and an annual balance sheet total
in excess of £33.5m.

In addition to that, British Gas Smart
Meter data analysis from over 6000 SMEs
showed that small businesses use 46%
of total electricity between 6pm and 8am.
Typical examples of items left on overnight
and through the weekend include, vending
machines and hot water dispensers, car
park and office lighting, display lights in
retail units, and office IT equipment, to
name just a few.
Additional to electrical inefficiency,
significant energy loss in a facility can be
attributed to the HVAC systems and the
“building envelope”. The building envelope
is basically what separates the outside
environment from the inside; walls, roof,
windows, doorways, etc. Carbon Trust data
reveals around 60% of office heat is lost
through the building fabric.

Compliance was required by 5
December 2015 and this was then
extended to 30 June 2016. According to
the Carbon Trust there are a few thousand
companies that haven’t complied and they
potentially face “being slapped with tens
of thousands of pounds of potential fines,
alongside reputational risks in situations
where they are obliged to disclose
environmental enforcement notices.”
Fortunately, identifying electrical usage
over time in areas of a facility, or specifically
monitoring consumption of a particular

Research in the USA and Canada,
similarly developed nations to our
own, identified that heat loss
due to poor or missing pipe

item, has been significantly simplified
nowadays with the availability of Power and
Energy Loggers (PEL’s).
The best Power and Energy Loggers
are extremely simple to use and can be
installed in distribution panels or around
the facility without difficulty, and removed
as easily without the need to shut down the
installation or office building first. They are
capable of storing tens of thousands to
several million readings, and the results can
be retrieved later or transmitted locally or
remotely via Bluetooth, WiFi, or LAN.
PEL’s can also show any phase
imbalances on 3-phase systems along with
any power factor issues that would cause
unnecessary high billing. Additionally, they
can identify harmonics that could cause
operational issues in a facility, and result
in power loss and heating in power supply
equipment, such as supply transformers.
Add a thermal imaging camera, showing
losses within the buildings and associated
HVAC systems, and most energy inefficiency
issues within the facility can be simply
identified and corrective action taken. A
thermal camera will also show overheating
equipment, which apart from risk of failure
or maybe even fire, must be consuming
excessive energy by virtue of the fact that
it is generating excess heat.
Today it is possible to source a
complete energy efficiency kit, containing
simple to use PEL’s and thermal imaging
cameras, with associated reporting
software, that allow any facility manager or
maintenance electrician to perform energy
surveys on their infrastructure and make
significant savings.
In a world where Energy isn’t getting
any cheaper, there has never been a better
time to put in place measures to reduce
consumption and save money, whether
you’re looking for a solution to improve the
energy efficiency of your business, or
looking to get into the business of
measuring and improving energy efficiency
for other organisations.
Julian Grant – General Manager,
Chauvin-Arnoux UK Limited

10

Energy Manager Magazine • April 2017

CHP

PUTTING CHP AFTERCARE
FRONT OF MIND

C

HP systems are becoming
increasingly popular due to
their cost and fuel efficiency,
as well as their ability to help
heat networks meet
legislation such as, the Building
Regulation’s Part L and exceed CRC
Energy Efficiency Scheme (CRCEES)
targets. However, as a relatively
new technology, there remains a
knowledge gap among many users
regarding its proper maintenance and
servicing requirements.
CHP straddles two disciplines, bridging
the gap between traditional space and
water heating and electrical generation.
As such, its implementation is often left in
the hands of the manufacturers which can
lead to many users feeling daunted by the
concept of maintaining it.

Paying servicing more
than lip-service
Correct design and sizing during the
planning stage is vital if a CHP system is to
hit peak performance, however, Facilities
Managers should not underestimate
the importance of aftercare and regular
maintenance too. CHP systems operate
at their most efficient when they are
kept running, due in part to the payback
period often outlined at installation. It may
sound simple enough, but as with any
engine a CHP system needs to be regularly
maintained to guard against breakdown.
In much the same way as the engine of
a car is serviced year after year, it is crucial
for any size CHP system to be regularly
inspected. Oil should be monitored in order
to prevent contamination or low oil levels
causing long-term damage. Over time the
oil will congeal and thicken as it picks up
metal and dirt and will embed into the

While Combined Heat and Power (CHP) systems
continue to grow in popularity, aftercare all too
often remains an afterthought.

Carl Main, Business Development Manager –
Commercial and Industrial After Sales at Bosch
Commercial and Industrial, explains the
importance of servicing and maintenance in order
to protect what often is a sizable investment.
unit, labouring the engine. A simple service
involving a drain and refill can avoid both
the unit’s performance being affected and
expensive repairs.
It is not only the oil quality that needs
observation, service schedules should
also include repeated spark plug changes
and gas and air filter checks. With use,
gas filter and air filters get clogged up and
dirty resulting in the engine not pulling
in enough air. Similarly, the Lambda
probe, which measures CO2, needs to
be replaced occasionally in order ensure
that the correct levels are being met for
the engine to fire. Without these relatively
straightforward checks the CHP system may
operate inefficiently, unsafely or not at all.

All hail the overhaul
While general servicing check-ups can
help extend the life of the engine, a good
and considered CHP service plan will also
include some engine overhauls. With such
a hard working engine, running 6,000 to
8,000 hours a year at an average of 1,500
RPM, the concept of an engine overhaul
should not be alarming, and is in fact just
part of the lifecycle of the system. For
example, our Bosch service schedules
see a cylinder head change after 22,000
run hours and then a complete engine
rebuild at 44,000 run hours. This approach
injects new life into the unit and can keep it
running as a long term investment.

Plantroom practices
As well as protecting the technology
from breakdown, maintenance and
servicing is also necessary in order to

12

Energy Manager Magazine • April 2017

maximise the efficiency of the system.
Although the larger servicing operations are
often best carried out by the manufacturer
or servicing provider, there are plenty
of ways Facilities Managers can ensure
a system is running at its most efficient
– many of which can be worked into the
general maintenance of the building.
Like any heating system, water quality
will go a long way towards determining the
efficiency of a CHP system. Contamination
of system water causes restrictions through
the plate heat exchanger, which will
subsequently cause reduced heat transfer
and increased internal temperatures,
eventually preventing the CHP from staying
on for long periods. On-site water quality
management helps to promote a long
lasting system and where necessary, daily
checks should be made to avoid dirty water
entering the system and damaging it.
It is also important to consider whether
the return temperatures are too high. This
can sometimes be rectified by ensuring
other heat sources, such as boilers, are
allowing the CHP to take the lead in the
controls strategy.
A CHP prioritised control system
will keep gas costs down, and will help
keep CHP systems running for as long
as possible allowing the returns that
cogeneration is designed for. To that end,
facilities staff should have a good general
knowledge of the basic controls and
functions of the CHP installed. Most service
provider technicians will be happy to give
training on the fundamentals of CHP so
service and maintenance can be at the
forefront of any CHP planning.
www.bosch-industrial.co.uk

CHP

Scarborough Hospital
Looks Forward to Low
Carbon Future

Y

ork Teaching Hospital NHS
Foundation Trust have chosen
NHS Sustainability day to
celebrate the opening of their
new low-carbon energy centre
at Scarborough Hospital.

The energy centre, which was delivered
in partnership with Vital Energi will deliver
in excess of £9.1m in guaranteed financial
savings and almost 32,000 tonnes of
carbon reduction over the course of a
15 year energy performance contract.
The upgrade at Scarborough includes
improved boiler control and the installation
of a combined heat and power (CHP) unit
which will make a significant contribution
to reducing carbon emissions, as well as
significant savings to the hospital’s energy
costs. Carbon emissions are projected to
be cut by 2,130 tonnes a year, a reduction
of around 38 per cent.
The unit will supply all of the hospital’s
night time electricity, over 70% of its day
time electricity and make a substantial
contribution to the heating and hot
water supply.
The energy centre will be officially
opened by the Trust’s Chief Executive,
Patrick Crowley. Patrick will be joined by
Brian Golding, Director of Estates and
Facilities, members of the Scarborough
Hospital Estates team and representatives
from Vital Energi, including Joint Managing
Director, Ian Whitelock.
Patrick Crowley said: “On behalf of the
Trust I am delighted to officially open the

refurbished energy centre at Scarborough
Hospital. By reducing energy costs, we can
reinvest savings into front line services and
patient care.”
Brian Golding, Director of Estates and
Facilities, continued: “As an organisation,
we are very much aware of sustainability
issues and are committed to reducing our
environmental impact. Our sustainable
development group ensures that we
are consistently addressing energy
consumption across all our hospitals,
looking at everything from light bulbs
through to the design of new buildings.
“In 2014 we completed a major energy
saving and carbon reduction project at
York Hospital using a Carbon and Energy
Fund Framework with Vital Energi, and
last year we completed a major reduction
project at Bridlington Hospital. Including
the refurbishment here at Scarborough
Hospital, the overall project will offer over
£26.5M guaranteed saving for the Trust

– money which will be reinvested into
patient care. Across the three sites, carbon
emissions are projected to be cut by 5,800
tonnes a year, a reduction of around
27.6 per cent.”
Ashley Malin, Project Development
Director for Vital Energi explained, “York
Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation
Trust was one of the first in the UK to
embrace this type of energy infrastructure
upgrade with guaranteed returns. Their
commitment to reducing their emissions
and producing value for money has seen
them revolutionise the way they generate
and use energy and NHS Sustainability Day
is the perfect opportunity to congratulate
them on their fantastic achievements.”
Gordon.coates@vitalenergi.co.uk

Energy Manager Magazine • April 2017

13

Lighting

Making the switch
to LEDs
By Nick Farraway, Vice President and

E

nergy prices are on the rise
in the UK, and even further
hikes may be on the horizon.
Both the public sector
and private businesses have
been hit hard by surging energy prices
and decision-makers are constantly on
the lookout for new ways of cutting costs
without compromising on local services
and the safety of residents and workers.
With lighting representing such a
huge expense for companies and local
authorities, it has been the target of
drastic - and in some cases dangerous
– cost-cutting measures, such as
night-time blackouts.
But there are better ways to
keep energy expenditure in check.
While outdated lighting infrastructure
unnecessarily inflates energy bills, quality
LED technology slashes electricity and
maintenance costs while reducing CO2
emissions and improving surroundings
with a beautiful, clear light.

Maximising cost-saving
LED lighting systems can provide
unprecedented, long-term energy savings.
High-quality LED lighting can require up to
70% less energy than traditional lighting
solutions, making them much less costly
to run. Although a number of businesses
and local councils are yet to adopt the
technology, a number already have already
invested in LEDs and have already begun to
see the long-term energy saving benefits.
In 2015, global shipping company
Hermes Europe installed an indoor LED
system at its UK shipping warehouse. The
new LED system generates annual energy
savings of 83% and the long lifetimes
and high reliability of the new lights
also significantly reduce maintenance
costs. Hermes Europe now enjoys yearly
maintenance savings of 95% and sudden
outages and eco-unfriendly mercury
clean-ups due to bulb breakage are a
thing of the past.
In 2009, the London Borough of
Hackney also made the switch to LEDs as
part of its plan to improve Shoreditch Park.
Fifty-four LED luminaires were installed in
Shoreditch Park to illuminate the park’s

14

General Manager for Cree Lighting EMEA

pathways at night. It is estimated that over
the next twenty years, the council will save
£66,000 in maintenance costs alone, while
keeping the park beautifully lit and a safe
place after dark.

Eco-friendly energy
The benefits of LEDs are not only
limited to cost-cutting – they also contribute
to reducing carbon emissions. By 2025 for
instance, the Borough of Hackney will have
drastically reduced local CO2 emissions and
saved the equivalent of 8,000 trees simply
by installing LEDs in one of its parks.
What’s more, while traditional outdoor
lights require re-lamping every two years
or so, this is not the case with LEDs. No
re-lamping means no waste, which over
time will have a hugely positive impact on
the environment and waste management in
the UK. And, since LED control systems are
based on software that can be updated as
technology advances, LEDs are designed to
be fully sustainable and future-ready from
the moment they are installed.
A good lighting system also delivers
optimal energy efficiency through the use
of its lighting controls, which allow users
to automatically switch lights on and off,
and control brightness levels to suit the
industrial, working or urban environment.
Combined with well-designed fixtures, high
quality LEDs are also equipped with an
optic system which directs the light only
where it is needed, which means that just
the right amount of light is emitted without
wasting any energy.

Custom-made lighting
for every use
As lighting controls become more and
more sophisticated, LED manufacturers are
creating more bespoke solutions. When
UK satellite communications company
Paradigm Communication Systems
relocated to new offices in Hampshire,
the business installed LED lighting with a
control-system which adapted the level
of luminance and energy used based
upon the building occupancy and various
requirements throughout the day. The
project recorded annual energy savings
of over 75%, and a rapid return on
investment.

Energy Manager Magazine • April 2017

But it doesn’t stop there. Lighting
manufacturers are now designing
custom-made solutions using 3D digital
models which can predict how the light
will behave in different settings and at
different times of day. It is estimated that
tailored lighting solutions have improved
levels of efficiency up to 85% more than
conventional lights.

Energy-efficient employees
Energy-efficiency is not just about
cutting back on the electricity we use,
it is also about keeping the people who
experience lighting everyday motivated
and full of energy.
Studies have shown that lighting can
also affect quality of life in the workplace,
as it affects personal safety, the use of
space and the freedom of movement of
both staff and machinery. Poor lighting
can have a disastrous effect on workers’
morale, and has also been shown to cause
eye strain and a host of other issues that
can threaten productivity.
Warehouses, factories, stores, goods
loading bays are all subject to intense
use - often round the clock. So to keep
attention levels and motivation high, it is
important to start with good lighting. A
well-lit and comfortable workplace can
really help uplift employees’ moods,
reduce fatigue and drive productivity.
From cost-savings to improving
workplace ergonomics for happier and
more effective employees, the halo effect
of LEDs is clear and the technology is only
getting better.

any of us are aware of
the energy saving
benefits of upgrading
office lighting to the
latest LED technology.
But the story less told surrounds how a
lighting upgrade can also deliver increased
comfort for staff. Less glare, better lighting
controls and more considered zoning and
spacing should all be achieved within a
lighting retrofit.
The human benefits are numerous:
better concentration, happier, more
productive staff and variable light levels to
suit the seasons.

LED; a telling opportunity
for both light and comfort
The Carbon Trust advises lighting
typically consumes 20% of the electricity
used in commercial and industrial buildings,
offices included.
‘In these times of high energy prices,
finding cost-effective ways to reduce levels
of electricity consumed by lighting can
deliver appreciable long-term reductions on
business electricity bills,’ it argues.
LED lighting is quick, easy to install, pays
back fast, and creates minimal installation
disruption. But when considering LED
upgrades, it’s vitally important to also think
about it will affect staff wellbeing. Here are
some of the top elements to consider.

Giving staff control over their lighting
will also help: by allowing them to turn the
lighting up, down or off in their workspace,
and providing desk lamps to use as a
substitute for overhead lighting.

Daylight harvesting
alongside LEDs
The UK Green Building Council (UKGBC)
cites a recent study by neuroscientists,
which suggests office workers with windows
received 173% more white light exposure
during work hours, and slept an average of
46 minutes more per night.
‘Light is also vital for maintaining our
circadian rhythm. Overall, the evidence is
unequivocal; office occupants prefer access
to windows and daylight, which bring
consistent benefits in terms of satisfaction
and health,’ says UKGBC.
While the facts point towards the
benefits of natural light, artificial light has a
crucial role to play in keeping up light levels
on cloudy days and when daylight hours
are short.

Daylight harvesting
products (such as
our Ultra Slim Panel
Light with iDim Active+)
provide an efficient solution: they
automatically respond to the level of
natural light in the room and turn the
artificial lighting up, down or off accordingly.

The end game; more
productive, healthier light
When firms think about how to save
energy in offices, all too often the human
benefits become swamped by concerns
on payback or ROI. But a happier employee
represents not only a vital part of today’s
humanistic business, but a more profitable
worker too.
For these reasons, developing LED
solutions as part of strategic options to
bring comfort and humanity into every
office must be the watchword for 2017.
www.energysgroup.com

Health issues associated
with glare
‘Bright lights and glare, especially if
flickering, can induce migraines,’ writes the
NHS. ‘This is because bright and flickering
lights boost the levels of certain chemicals
in the brain, which then activate the
migraine centre.’
Modern LEDs eliminate the problem of
flicker traditionally found in fluorescents,
but some LED products are prone to
glare. This can be a big problem in offices,
especially as most activity is confined to
looking at PC screens.
LED product quality can vary widely,
so it’s important to specify LEDs with a ‘low
glare index’; this means that light is spread
evenly over a large surface area.

Energy Manager Magazine • April 2017

15

Lighting

SMART lighting takes LED
lighting to a new level

S

ince 2006, we have seen great
shifts in LED technology,
delivering huge improvements
in light output, colour
rendering, reliability of
electronic control gear and of course,
vast difference in purchase prices.
Whilst these improvements will
doubtless continue, other exciting
developments are taking place in parallel.
Manufacturers are exploiting the inherent
controllability of LED technology by
integrating LED lamps and luminaires into
smart buildings technology. An obvious first
step is to link lighting with sensors – either
built-in or connected.
Integrating motion sensors into lighting
directly massively reduces the complexity
compared with the traditional approach of
using external occupancy sensors. Thermal
sensors can also be added to improve
detection of personnel in specific areas.
Simplicity brings the rewards of enhanced
reliability as well as performance – not to
mention the savings in cost. Older solutions
quickly earned notoriety amongst users,
who frequently had to wave their arms
or walk around the building in order to
bring the lights back on. Siting position and
thermal sensors with the lighting makes
this a thing of the past.
Sensors that measure ambient light
level similarly offer improvements over
traditional timed switch-on/switch-off
arrangements. Why turn the lights out
at 7pm, just because it’s assumed that
everyone has gone home by that time?
Why wait until 7am to turn them on?
A further advantage of integrated
sensors is that it removes the need for
separate installation of PIR detectors and
the like. Improvements in control and
automation can be added step-by-step,
instead of involving multiple contractors
and projects. This expands the potential
for including lighting into building-wide
automation.

Smart technology starts
learning for itself

This would allow lighting to be driven
by users’ habits. For example, lighting
units can be grouped together and
communicate with each other so that they
perform functions in harmony. Lights
can be programmed to dim up and down
according, not only to current but also
to anticipated occupancy levels. Another
possibility is to switch lights on ahead of
occupants moving through a long corridor,
then dimmed or switched off behind. LED
lighting is well suited to these applications,
having many significant advantages over
more conventional technologies.
LEDs are flicker-free, combatting the
common problem with fluorescent lighting.
They present no issues with being turned
on and off.
Another example is using central
automation to control lighting in response
to emergencies. For example, all lights in a
building be switched on full in the event of
an evacuation, with the building automation
system switching-in backup power as
required. These smart luminaires can also
be grouped together so that banks of units
can be controlled to the same parameters.
A pre-set level of lighting can be maintained
across the whole area if required.
Systems like the new Goodlight
architectural lighting range of modular
LED luminaires can be attached to
intelligent controls that learn how the
areas in an office are used, and adjust the
lighting accordingly.
In the smart building, control of lighting
now goes hand-in-hand with some level of
monitoring to deliver the necessary energy
saving benefits. Major energy users are
- or will be - finding ways to monitor their
lighting usage not only to reveal patterns
which will help reduce consumption, but
also to have a better understanding of
how their buildings are being used,
which can help to identify all sorts of
user-related efficiencies.

What is the ROI?
Measuring return on investment is not
a simple calculation. Estimating the ROI of
a future installation project is especially
challenging, because every building is
individual. Potential adopters should look
first at the returns enjoyed by organisations
that have already made the switch to
LED technology. Evaluation of Goodlight

16

Energy Manager Magazine • April 2017

retrofit LED lamps and luminaires has
demonstrated energy savings up to 85%. In
addition to this, maintenance savings of up
to 100% can be made, and typical return on
investment calculations show full payback
within three to 36 months. To refine their
estimates, new installers will typically
calibrate their early estimates with real
data from a pilot installation.
Naturally, there is some resistance to
adopting this relatively new technology.
In the past, lighting controls have been
standalone systems, which are deemed to
be quite expensive, delivering payback over
decades. Conventional wisdom is that such
an approach is more pertinent for fancy
new builds than retrofits into
existing buildings.
But integrating the control system
within the light itself dramatically changes
this model. Smart LED lamps are already
relatively inexpensive, making automated
lighting highly accessible. In the future, as
integrated smart moves from an added
extra for a lamp to a standard feature,
making energy efficient lighting even
more attractive not only to cost-conscious
landlords, owner occupiers and facilities
managers but also to users, who
ultimately will gain control of the lighting
in their surroundings.
Such appeal should be viewed through
the prism of external regulation. Whilst
lighting itself is not governed by any specific
regulatory framework, here it is possible
that legislation will emerge mandating
smart lighting. One area of concern – and a
possible subject of regulation - is the issue
of security. In connected buildings, security
is only as strong as its weakest link. This is
particularly true if lighting automation relies
on connectivity, such as to the Internet
of Things. Consider, for example, a smart
building in which a security breach allows
hackers to turn lights on or off: on to
highlight a target for physical attack; off to
provide dark cover for intruders. Worse,
poor security in a lighting installation could
provide entry points into other systems,
such as power utilities or customer records.
Despite these gloomy prognostications,
the overriding advantages of connectivity
and intelligence will continue to drive down
the cost of intelligent lighting, with benefits
right across the building automation sector.
Saima Shafi - Sales & Marketing Director,
LED Eco Lights
www.goodlight.co.uk

Monitoring/Metering

Al Ain Fertility Center

World class British radio-telemetric monitoring
technology chosen by leading medical facility

T

he Al Ain Fertility Center
(AAFC) provides a wide range
of fertility services and
treatments in UAE to the
highest European and
American approved quality standards
and offers the most advanced techniques
of assisted reproduction.. And AAFC’s
buildings energy management personnel
are tasked with ensuring world-class
energy efficiency for the Center’s
buildings and facilities.
AAFC’s is nationally and internationally
recognized as leading experts in delivering
new life, offering a distinguished health care
service in UAE and worldwide. The Center’s
focus is to achieve the highest results
comparable to the very best centers in
the world.
The Center’s energy management
personnel contacted The IMC Group’s
UAE distributor, Ideal Technology Services,
to work through the challenges they
faced. Regular heating, ventilation and air
conditioning (HVAC) systems did not offer
the ability to maintain conditions to a level
required by a medical center and room
temperature and humidity were unstable,
with the HVAC system offering very
poor control.
The Center required a monitoring
system of the highest quality, accuracy and
reliability, which is why they investigated
and eventually chose IMC’s Hanwell
wireless range. The system is well-known
for providing a multitude of solutions in
one system specifically for measurement
and control of temperature and humidity
of laboratories, cleanrooms and
pharmacies; ideal since the Centre needed
measurement and control of pressure in
cleanrooms and laboratories, measurement
of UV leakage in clean rooms, and
measurement of dust accumulation in
laboratory areas.
The UK-technology solutions
demonstrated extensive international
experience of sensitive monitoring and
control in challenging environments such as
operating theatres, blood storage, medical
‘fridges and more, using one non-intrusive
system, and due to the needs of the Center
a radio-telemetric Hanwell system was
selected.
“Before the installation of a monitoring
solution we were using handheld devices
and manually logging the data. But the
handheld devices were having unstable
readings and there’s no software for these

devices, so staff were required to spend
valuable time manually logging all data
on paper – and of course this introduces
human error, especially during busy
periods when manual logging can be
forgotten and data missed,” explained Dr.
Nizar Sharara, head of the pharmacy.
“We now have reliable and accurate
monitoring of pressure in our clean rooms
to avoid contamination and the system also
allows us to maintain proper automated
records for auditing purposes.”
AAFC was seeking a fast, easy and
safe solution to the medical team’s
requirements – something that would
give them accurate data to control HVAC
systems and ensure that temperature
of refrigerators/freezers were properly
monitored and controlled. Measurement
of accumulation of dust in lab areas was
also important.
“We also wanted simple and accurate
measurement of any UV leaks during the
sanitization process to protect staff from
any harmful exposures,” explained Dr.
Sharara. “The Hanwell equipment was
installed and working quickly and the
service provided was good, with excellent

responses and support from Ideal
Technology Services. By introducing this
technology to our business we now avoid
damage of medication and items in our
genetic labs and pharmacy.
“Now the Hanwell monitoring and
control technology is installed, feedback
to HVAC has improved, our temperature,
humidity, pressure, UV and dust controls
are enhanced, plus we’re no longer
reliant on time-consuming manual
record-keeping.”
sales@the-imcgroup.com

Situation

Solution

World-class medical center with a variety of
monitoring and data logging requirements
The Center’s need to monitor and control
‘fridge and freezer temperatures, laboratory,
cleanrooms and pharmacy humidity and
temperature, cleanroom and lab pressure, UV
leakage and dust accumulation was hampered
by unstable HVAC controls.

A radio-telemetric Hanwell system comprising:
Radio transmitters for temperature, humidity,
differential pressure, Lux and UV.
Plus a DustBug transmitter.

Additionally, medical staff were using handheld
measurement devices and manually logging
the data, and suffering unstable readings as a
consequence.

Client Profile
The Al Ain Fertility Center (AAFC) provides a
wide range of world-class fertility services and
treatments.
The Center has two laboratories, and a
pharmacy with refrigerators and freezers in
the same room.

Results
Hanwell technology is providing controls
and data to enable this prestigious medical
center to monitor a wide variety of conditions,
maintain the correct conditions and provide
accurate automated records for auditing
purposes, while being as energy efficient as
possible.
The Hanwell installation marked an end to the
Center’s reliance on manually downloaded
standalone loggers and spot readers.
“By introducing this technology to our business
we now avoid damage to medication and items
in our genetic labs and pharmacy, plus we’re
no longer reliant on time consuming manual
record-keeping ”

Energy Manager Magazine • April 2017

17

District Heating

How to comply with Heat
Network Regulations

I

an Allan, Head of R&D for
community heating specialist
Switch2 Energy, explains the latest
legislative changes affecting the
UK’s communal energy and district
heating schemes and what they mean
for heat suppliers.
The UK Government introduced
The Heat Network (Metering and Billing)
Regulations in 2014, which covers every
community and district heating system
across the country. Important updates to
the regulations were announced by the
new Department for Business, Energy
and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) towards
the end of 2016.
With relatively few exemptions
and criminal/civil penalties for
non-compliance enforced robustly by
BEIS, it’s crucial that those responsible
for heat networks understand the
obligations and potential benefits

Legislation at a glance

It is also mandatory to install final
customer meters on new builds and most
buildings undergoing major renovation. If
these meters are not feasible, the viability
of heat cost allocators must be considered.
The meters require scheduled servicing
alongside periodic recalibration of heat
cost allocators.
The latest major change to the
legislation is a postponement of the
original December 2016 deadline to fit final
customer meters to existing unmetered
properties. This is due to withdrawal of the
original feasibility tool, that is intended to
indicate the viability of retrofitting meters
to existing district heating schemes. The
original feasibility tool was considered
not fit for purpose and is expected to be
revised in 2017 following consultation,
with the deadline for retrofitting final
customer meters being extended to late
2017 or early 2018.

The UK regulations relate to the
distribution of thermal energy from a
central source to more than one end user,
building or location for the purposes of
heating, cooling or hot water supply. The
‘heat supplier’, which is the person or
body ultimately responsible for supplying
and charging the ‘final customer’ (who
consumes the heat), is obligated to meet
three key stipulations:

If the feasibility tool is used by a heat
supplier to opt-out of installing meters, the
‘grace period’ is only likely to be temporary.
That’s because the regulations demand
that the feasibility test should be repeated
every four years and it is expected that
all heat networks will need to be fully
metered over time.

1. Notification

End customers must be billed using
actual meter readings (rather than
estimates) at least once a year. However,
customers using electronic billing should
be invoiced quarterly. Bills must contain
current energy prices, details of total
consumption (compared to the previous
year, if applicable) and general information
on how to improve energy efficiency. This is
subject to feasibility, however, the bar has
been set reasonably high so the rulings will
apply in all but a few cases.

Heat suppliers must inform BEIS
about the location of any district heat
network or communal heating scheme
- as well as its capacity and supply figures.
Each building forming part of the network
has to be identified, along with the
number of customers using it and how
they receive information from billing
partners. Registrations must be updated
within four years of the initial registration,
which was the end of 2015, and every
four years after that.

2. Metering
It is mandatory to install point of entry,
or ‘bulk’ meters (which record the amount
of heat delivered into the property) for

18

buildings with one or more customers
connected to a district heat network.

3. Billing

The legislation imposes duties on
the heat supplier, but BEIS has issued
guidance on how these responsibilities
may be shared between billing managers
and network managers or owners. Internal
discussions will be required to establish
who is best placed to undertake the billing
duties imposed by the legislation.

Energy Manager Magazine • April 2017

The impact of Brexit?
Although the regulations stemmed
from the EU Energy Efficiency directive,
the UK remains committed to carbon
reduction and energy efficiency and the
role of heat networks in achieving that
aim, irrespective of Brexit. As a signatory
to the Paris Agreement on climate action
and due to the UK’s commitment to global
energy reduction, it is unlikely that the Heat
Network Regulations would be withdrawn.

Benefits of smart metering
Smart metering strategies are
crucial to reducing energy waste since
heat customers can see exactly how
much energy they are consuming and
paying for and, hence, are able to make
informed decisions about reducing their
consumption. In our experience, where
we have installed smart metering and
pay-as-you-go billing, heat usage has
been reduced by up to 50%, compared to
unmetered dwellings.
Switch2’s smart metering partnership
with Sheffield City Council is dramatically
reducing energy consumption across 6,000
homes connected to its heat network. This
is predicted to reduce customers’ total
annual bill by £1.4 million.
The regulations for metering also
offer benefits for heat suppliers. Closer
monitoring of district heat networks will
provide more opportunities to identify heat
loss throughout the network, which could
improve operating efficiency. More detailed
bills will reduce the volume of customer
enquiries about costs and charges, and
establish greater trust between suppliers
and end users.
www.switch2.co.uk

WATER
TIME
TO
SWITCH
District Heating System
District Heating

Charley Maher, managing director of water2business, explains how businesses
across England will soon be able to choose their water and sewerage retailer.

Network Optimisation

T

S

witching
energy suppliers and
here are currently around 60
shopping
around
foracross
the best
deal
million
people
Europe
is a given
these
days
businesses
who
receive
hotfor
water
and heat
via district
schemes
seeking to drive
downheating
costs and
become
(DHS).
more eﬃcient
in the way they operate.

you opt for one that truly understands your

properties, minimise environmental
a fully welded, all plastic, corrosion-free
business.
impact
through its sustainable credentials
solution, which can deliver optimum flow
andAll
deliver
a better
return
on investment
temperatures of 70 degrees centigrade for
will be
aiming
to attract
new customers
based on whole-life analysis.
an estimated 98 years!
and while price will play a part it is unlikely
Recent amendments to Part L of the
Flexenergy’s products are
the deciding
many environmentally-friendly and energy-saving
to beRegulations
This equates to around 12% of the
Building
makefactor
plasticfor
pipe
Andtotal
now
there’s about
to be choice
businesses
switching.
population,
but Flexenergy,
one ofwhen
the
even
more advantageous
for That’s
DHS, because the
and perfectly in tune with 21st century
it comes
to water,
withforbusinesses
of any because
margins
set by the
regulator Ofwat
UK’s leading
partners
district heating
the material
can industry
be a contributor
requirements for secure, low maintenance,
installations,
estimates
withand to the
for design
lowor
carbon, sustainable and energy efficient
sizenetwork
being able
to choose
their that
water
areminimum
slim - anstandards
averageset
of 2.5%
net margin
the collective
efforts
makers,
construction
to the conservation
district heating and community heating
sewerage
retailer.
It’s of
allpolicy
part of
Open Water, and6%
gross forlinked
retailers.
designers,
suppliers,
installers,
of fuel and power. Part L has, in fact,
networks.
which
has been
introduced
byoperators
the
Therefore
it’s likely
to be thethe
quality of theUsing plastic pipe at the temperatures
and users, there is potential for this to
become
instrumental
in furthering
government and Ofwat.
customer
service,
investment
in innovation,
increase to 250 million (50%) by 2050.
journey
towards
near-zero
carbon
specified by Part L Regulations will improve
The
company
has a 30-year heritage
buildings
by 2020.
whole-life network cost considerably,
and the
value added services oﬀered to
So what
does
this mean?
of working alongside consulting engineers,
Flexenergy’s
Flexalen
600
system
helps
particularly when coupled to the very
your
business
which
will
set
the
retailers
Well from 1 April 2017 any large or small
energy managers and contractors
to meet Part L regulation requirements
low maintenance requirement of plastic
from each other.
business,
council, hospital, school or even on aapart
to optimise the performance of DHS
number of counts. It is made up of
systems. So whether you’re looking for help on
charity
can choose
their
and
reducing
water consumption – which in
Atbasic
water2business
leading
networks
through the
usewater
of eco-friendly
three
components: we
highoﬀer
impact
www.flexenergy.co.uk
sewerage
retailer.
Whilepre-insulated
the water supplied HDPE
and thermallyefficient
outer casing,
unique
PE foam
turn could reduce energy costs too – or
customer
service
andClass
tailored
water and
willplastic
still be
provided
your local water
pipe
in place by
of conventional
insulation
and PB-1
carrier pipes, giving
ﬂexible, consolidated billing for multiple
wastewater
management
that will help to
steel materials.
advantages over other plastic
company
and still travel to your premises it unique
sites, we can help.
improve eﬃciency and deliver savings.
Flexenergy
is the sole
distributor
insulated pipe systems. Networks can
along the
same pipes,
most
of yourin the
Unlike
others,
we’re
not
a
newcomer
to
UK and Ireland of Flexalen pre-insulated
be pre-fabricated for ease of installation
You can ﬁnd out more about our
interaction
will be with your retailer.
instead
we’re
a company with
pipe technology, manufactured by
andthe
the market,
material is
extremely
lightweight,
other added value services by calling us
extensive
industry
knowledge
Thermaflex
in the
– a will be
highly
flexible and
can incorporate
a that has a
While
a number
of Netherlands
water retailers
today on 0345 850 0714 or visiting
proven
record
already
material
proven
to enhance
DHS
system
unique
valvetrack
system
to aid and
network
zonalprovides
oﬀering
this
service,
it’s really
important
www.water2business.co.uk
performance through its thermal
control,
expansion
and maintenance. It is
business
services.

April
2017

Switch your water and wastewater services to water2business.

helping

your business
EHFRPHPRUHHǸFLHQW

Every day we’re helping businesses like yours save money and improve efficiency.
There’s no catch or hidden charges – it’s simply all part of the service provided by water2business.

water and wastewater efficiency advice
flexible and consolidated billing for multiple sites
award-winning customer service

ollowing best practice asset
management, the school has
replaced an existing 13-yearold
Remeha Gas 210 Eco Pro with
Remeha’s new, highefficiency
floor-standing condensing boiler, the Gas
220 Ace. Currently operating alongside
a Gas 210 Eco Pro, it serves the Arts &
Drama block that houses the school’s
Main Hall, Theatre and Activities Hall.
The Gas 220 Ace builds on proven
technology to offer an even higher output
to physical size ratio, optimum design
simplicity and flexibility, and outstanding
performance.
The ease of installation certainly
impressed heating engineer Ashleigh Jones
of Spa Gas. “A lot of thought has obviously
gone into the packaging and pallet design
to simplify and
speed up installation,” he said.
“Disconnecting the old Gas 210 Eco Pro,
unpacking the new Gas 220 Ace and then
positioning it in the plant room took just an
hour and a half.”

The new Remeha Gas 220 Ace floor-standing boiler
has been installed at Samuel Whitbread Academy,
Shefford, in a field test prior to its UK
Key to the Gas 220 Ace’s small
dimensions is its innovative new monobloc
heat exchanger with an exceptionally high
output to physical size ratio.
The reduced footprint and lighter
weight are winning features for Ashleigh. He
commented: “The Gas 220 Ace is a nice size
– it’s light and extra-compact which makes
it easy to handle as well as providing more
working space. I also like the integrated
wheels which make it easier to manoeuvre
the boiler into final position.”

CASE STUDY
The Gas 220 Ace features a new ‘Click
and Go’ condensate drain positioned
underneath, rather than inside, the boiler.
“This is really easy to connect and access,”
commented Ashleigh, “which means there’s
no need to dismantle the boiler to get to it
when servicing.”
The heart of the Gas 220 Ace is its
pioneering control platform with time
and temperature controls supplied
as standard. The enhanced, back-lit
panel simplifies input and control
for end-users while new parameter
codes provide heating engineers with
access to greater technical detail for
rapid, straightforward servicing and
diagnostics.

management provider for Samuel
Whitbread Academy PFI. “The smaller
footprint gives us greater accessibility
within our plant rooms and we also like
the enhanced control platform as the
new interface allows for faster, clearer
and simpler user control. Small, simple
and accessible – can’t go wrong. We have
already instructed our installer to proceed
with the Gas 220 Ace for the remaining four
boilers to be installed this year.”
Tristan continued: “We always use
Remeha for our heating equipment as
we can virtually guarantee the quality and
reliability of the product and that it will
match and often outperform our lifecycle
expectations. The excellent service and
availability of parts has been consistent
since we have been working with Remeha
over the last 15 years.”
The successor to the Gas 210 Eco Pro,
the new Class 6 NOx Gas 220 Ace range
is available in 160, 200, 250 and 300kW
models with outputs from 34.7kW to
310kW. All connections and pipework are
at the top of the Gas 220 Ace, enabling
side-by-side or back-to-back positioning
and flexible modular configuration options.
With ultra-low NOx emissions at or below
40mg/kWh, the new Gas 220 Ace is future
proofed for emissions regulations.

“The Gas 220 Ace is a nice size – it’s light
and extra-compact which makes it easy
to handle as well as providing more
working space.”
- Ashleigh Jones
20

Energy Manager Magazine • April 2017

Water Management

THE WATER OPEN MARKET: THINK BEFORE YOU DIVE IN

F

rom April 2017, commercial
and other non-residential water
users in England have the
opportunity to choose where
to buy water and wastewater
services from. This freedom of choice is
most welcome but, with choice, comes
complexity. With multiple service
providers and procurement routes
available, careful consideration of the
options is a prerequisite for making the
most of the open market opportunity and
optimising service levels and best value
for your organisation.

Claire Yeates, Director at Waterscan
commented: “We understand that, because
businesses in England have not had to
concern themselves with water supply
before, diving into a whole new area can
be daunting. All organisations will have
their own approach. Many will wish to buy
and manage their own water and waste
water supply internally having robust
procurement processes and procedures in
place. Some will take a proactive approach
and leap head-first into the pioneering
concept of self-supply or seek support by
outsourcing water procurement.

Many more however will take the
potentially costly route of taking no action
because water isn’t currently seen as an
organisational priority. Whatever your start
point, experience demonstrates the need
for a strategic, well informed approach.
This is why there’s now a variety of services
to support organisations in optimising the
benefits and opportunities that the open
water market offers.”
So, which is the right option for your
business? Here’s our guide to navigating
the water market.
www.waterscan.com

OPTION 1: IN-HOUSE PROCUREMENT

OPTION 2: OUTSOURCED WATER PROCUREMENT

BEST FOR:

BEST FOR:

Organisations that have a low water spend or lack the resource to play

Organisations that want to utilise expert advice and knowledge when choosing the right retailer

an active role in the new open market could consider conducting their

in line with their existing procurement systems, operational needs and sustainability goals.

own tender process.

Every organisation with a higher water spend should benefit from this approach which offers
independent analysis and a fully managed tailored tender process to maximise best value.

ADVICE:
Key to achieving best value from this route is accurate data on which to

ADVICE:

base negotiations with potential water suppliers. Focus resource on this

Seek a supplier who has extensive knowledge of previous water company and new retailer

prior to contacting retailers. Waterscan’s Water Check service is designed

charging structures, the new legislation and considerable expertise. This will ensure you avoid

to help industrial and commercial organisations with a higher spend by

unnecessary costs and select the right water retailer. With this support, a complete water

reviewing a recent water bill for each site in your property portfolio and

consumption data-set is usually created as a start-point for retailer comparison. A tender

creating a clear report detailing opportunities for improvement that are

to ensure transparency and to guarantee best value for clients in line with their long term

Minimal. There is no charge for Waterscan’s Water Check service.

strategic goals. Instead, a one-off fee is charged dependent on the level of service required.

OPTION 3: SELF-SUPPLY

and the whole process with MOSL and Ofwat is

BEST FOR : Organisations that want ultimate control

granted, you will be in control of your water supply but

over their water consumption and greater cost savings
by dealing directly with wholesalers. It is suitable
for large multi-site customers or high consuming
organisations that will benefit from billing accuracy and
the ability to directly influence the English water market.
ADVICE: Allow more time if you plan to take this
route and ensure your chosen partner has direct
experience of the licence application process due to
its complex nature. It’s worth noting that there will be
a requirement for active participation, including senior
management, in the process. By working with a partner
to obtain a self-supply licence you will be guided
through all relevant licence application information

•

managed on your behalf. Once a licence has been

time.
•

with the full support of a managing agent to ensure
licence compliance, billing validation, early resolution
of wholesaler issues or emergencies and maximised

ith so much change
taking place within the
energy market, it is
important that those
working in
procurement understand the challenges
that the energy market is facing. For
energy procurement managers pressure
to find the best deal is a key factor.
Having a clearer picture of an
organisation’s energy requirements puts
procurers in a better position to make
informed decisions and meet cost
reduction and sustainability targets.
The energy market is undergoing
change at an alarming rate due to
increased competition and updates
to industry legislation, and often the
procurement team is responsible for

1.
2.
3.

Site List
Although it might sound like a basic piece of
advice, the first thing a procurer needs to have
is a firm grasp of their site list. It is important to
understand the individual energy requirements
of the different types of buildings and sites
in your portfolio so you can obtain precise
volumes of energy, minimising wastage.

4.

AMR Metering Across All Sites
Understanding your energy needs can be
achieved through the installation of automatic
meter reading (AMR) technology across all of
your managed sites. This will automatically
collect consumption, diagnostic and status data
and transfer it to a centralised database where
it can be analysed and interrogated. By having
this insight, informed decisions can be made.

5.

Understand the Contract and What
it Requires
An energy procurement manager will need an
understanding of what the business needs,
when and in what volume. This will allow the

Jason continues: “Those working
in procurement are often under many
disparate pressures and can be involved
in an array of different areas, including:
purchasing, IT, managing inventory, vendor

22

keeping up to date. These teams have
to work with energy buyers and account
managers within the energy companies,
stay abreast of industry amendments and
understand the risks and opportunities that
these changes bring. All whilst maintaining
an effective procurement strategy which
is flexible to take advantage of any
fluctuations of energy costs.
Jason Taylor, Account Manager
at IMServ, thinks these risks can be
mitigated through the combination of a
proactive approach to buying energy, an
understanding of the shifts within the
energy market and full understanding of an
organisation’s energy usage. He believes
such tactics can prevent poor procurement
decisions turning into expensive mistakes.

selection and holding process reviews.
This often means that they find themselves
without the time to interrogate their energy
data properly. This is where mistakes
can start to come into the equation. By

Energy Manager Magazine • April 2017

“The energy market can seem
daunting, particularly in light of ongoing
legislation changes such as P272 and the
Capacity Market evolution. The landscape
of the energy market has also changed
significantly, with new suppliers entering
the market and a wider range of solar,
renewable and local generation options
available. Taylor states “By having a greater
understanding of their energy portfolio,
companies are able to implement a robust
procurement strategy and able to improve
their billing.”
Taylor believes there are 5 key areas
procurers need to understand in order to
provide an effective service:

manager to accurately forecast what will be
needed in the future, and obtain the best rates
to reflect the needs of business at different
times of the day, week, month and year.

Energy Spend
It is important to retain a view on your overall
energy budget whilst understanding the energy
spend across all utilities. Having a robust data
solution in place, your organisation can gain a
better understanding of energy demands over
time. This will help to benchmark any future
savings across your portfolio.

Drill Down into Your Energy Data
for Further Opportunities
There are a huge variety of energy solutions
available to organisations on the market such
as; Sub-Metering, bespoke energy reporting
packages and energy efficiency offerings. Being
aware of and utilising a wide range of solutions
can open doors to energy improvements, by
providing actionable usage insights at more
localised levels.

taking the time to understand the energy
usage data, and how this will affect such
strategies, procurers will be able to improve
their energy billing, often saving money at
the same time.”

Energy Champions Awards Winner

NHS

Dartford & Gravesham
BACKGROUND:
Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust are
leading the way for sustainability through
the Green Watch project which brings
strategic technological advancements
together with wider engagement on
sustainability, committing the Trust to
reducing its carbon emissions by 47.9%
over the next 10 years.
The Trust has adopted a number
of mechanisms to monitor sustainability
improvements via its Estates Strategy,
Sustainability Policy, new governance
arrangements and board-level
reporting, all delivered by the Trusts
Sustainability Lead supported by the
Sustainability Group.
As part of its new Estates Strategy
and in line with the 2012 Carbon
Management Plan, the Trust developed
the Green Watch project in early 2015 in
order to detail the action required to
meet the Trusts annual target.
The Green Watch identified the
need for a Combined Heat and Power
unit (CHP) to be installed on site and this
was achieved in December 2015, which
delivered an immediate 25% reduction in
carbon emissions.
The CHP project was supplemented
with additional work on Air Handling
systems, by adding variable speed drives
(VSD) to control the amount of airflow and
reduce energy consumption in October
2015. In addition various energy saving
improvements were completed across
site in 2015, for example within our new
capital build projects and in total the
Trust reduced its carbon emissions by
approximately 29% in a single year.
The Green Watch recognises the
importance of ensuring a systematic
staff engagement programme, to deliver
sustainability and improved health
outcomes. In response to this a Staff

24

Engagement programme was developed
in 2015 and launched in early 2016 that
aims to involve staff at all levels across the
organisation to implement sustainability
ensuring the necessary change is delivered.
The programme conveys the slogan
‘Time for Change’. Green Watch members
were encouraged to sign-up to champion
the programme and a series of planned
workshops aims to identify, prioritise
and galvanise sustainable action whilst
mobilising the workforce towards more
sustainable healthy lifestyles.
The year of staff action began with
the Green Ward competition. The goal
of the competition was to encourage
clinical staff to take part in reducing
energy, waste and improving care, as part
of the Trust sustainable development
activity. The winner was announced at the
annual NHS Sustainability Day event on
24th March 2016.

APPROACH:
We decided that we needed to draw
upon independent external experience of
managing and minimising the increasing
burden of costs and legislative compliance.

Energy Manager Magazine • April 2017

We wanted to develop and
implement sustainable cost saving
strategies & solutions, together with a
core focus of waste, energy and water
efficiency solutions.
So we appointed Carbon Architecture
as our consultants, to advise us and to act
as our sustainability managers, due to their
experience with advising high-energy users,
and with NHS Trusts particularly.
We had already used the Carbon
Architecture team – in fact it was they who
originally proposed a CHP for the Trust,
did the feasibility study and then helped
us procure and implement it.
Carbon Architecture did the concept
design, procurement and raised loan
finance for project to implement variable
speed drives on their air handling units.

SOLUTION:
We analysed our current setup and we
had our consultants provide comparatives
of where additional efficiency savings could
be made and how the system could be
optimised further.

Energy Champions Awards Winner

ravesham NHS Trust
This led Carbon Architecture to study
our needs holistically and after discussions
with ourselves they wrote and implemented
a Sustainability Policy for the Trust.

already highlighted the potential
for improvements to patients and
clinical care to ensure sustainable
care pathways and achieve significant
financial savings. Wards participating
in the competition range from
Cardiology, Oncology and Pathology,
and the Sustainability Group will
ensure the benefits of the project are
promoted, and applied systematically
across the Trust.

One of our initiatives is a Cycle-to-Work
scheme with videos – made by carbon
Architecture – to explain what was on offer
and demonstrate how staff could park
offsite venue and cycle to work.
We also worked with our consultants
to implement a number of other projects
relating to air handling and lighting.

•

We installed variable speed drives
on air handling units – this saved
£20,000 a year.

•

•

And we finally procured our CHP
unit, commissioned a few months
ago and on target to make us savings
of £225,000 a year!

•

This provides 30-40% improved
efficiency, compared with grid
electricity and a boiler.

•

The new CHP has provided financial
savings since day one, with electricity
consumption halved in its first month
of operation. The project can be
considered as an exemplar project by
integrating a CHP into an operational
PFI building.

•

•

The addition of Variable Speed
Drives to Air Handling Units has
enabled a 3% reduction in carbon
emissions, by allowing control of air
flow to reduce energy consumption.
This project brings additional
co-benefits to patient care by ensuring
air flow and providing a comfortable
health-promoting environment.
The Staff Engagement programme
holds a target of 1.5% reduction in
its first year, and initial activity via
the Green Ward competition has

•

The staff engagement programme will
also continue into a 2nd year with the
aim of improving both sustainability
and patient care outcomes through
simple everyday actions and so
reducing carbon emissions at our
hospital. We believe by continuing
the programme this will develop
an engaged team of ‘Green Watch’
champions to keep the pressure on
all our staff and provide the required
motivation for change.

•

In addition we will continue to
work with the local community
and supply partners raising
awareness of sustainability and
effects of climate change. We have
also planned additional work streams
that enhance sustainability.

•

Simultaneously, renewable energy
such as solar panels and off-site
wind projects will be explored, with
a view to establishing a longer term
community energy project.

•

The Strategy recognises the success
of small scale renewable energy
projects, however to achieve the
necessary return on investment,
any renewable technologies will be
required to deliver benefits to the
whole site.

MORE SUCCESS:

Our project has demonstrated
environmental, financial and health
impacts.
The new CHP Energy Centre provided
a 25% carbon reduction and allowed
the Trust to generate its own electricity
and utilise the waste heat to generate
hot water.

right at our hospital is important for
the energy efficiency of the building
and the well-being of our patients
and staff. This upgrade is estimated
at delivering a further 5% carbon
emission savings over 2 years.

•

In a single year the Trust reduced its
Carbon emissions by approximately
29%. This equates to a reduction of
approximately 2,812 tCO2.

•

The guaranteed cost savings for
the CHP is £240,000 a year and for
the VDS project is £20,000 a year,
therefore over the 10 year project
the estimated cost savings will be in
the region of £2,600,000 alone for
these projects.

Further cost savings and carbon
reductions will be made with future
planned projects within the 10 year
strategy period:
•

The Estates Strategy and Green
Watch programme provides a clear
route for delivery of sustainability
enhancements in both the operational
and wider context.

•

In 2016/17 the Trust has planned to
continue its upgrading light project to
energy efficient LED lights throughout
the hospital. Getting the lighting

Energy Manager Magazine • April 2017

25

Energy Champions Awards Winner

Education – Schools

Chalgrove Primary School
INNOVATION
AND PRODUCT
SELECTION/DIVERSITY
Chalgrove Primary School were made
aware by Barnet Council that a bulge
reception class would be joining them
for the 2015/2016 academic year, so
approached UK Energy Partners to address
their upcoming bulge class. The school
briefed the project designers at UK Energy
Partners about their needs, from which a
layout was developed, and so the school
turned to Schoolhaus for their solution;
increasing their capacity, and allowing
energy savings.
UK Energy Partners design and develop
Schoolhaus projects – the UK’s most energy
efficient school buildings; our mission is
“the net zero building”. And to date our 30
Schoolhaus projects have all been
ultra-efficient net zero buildings, and
comfortably A+ within their EPC ratings.
The Schoolhaus at Chalgrove Primary
School is a 100m² Schoolhaus building
with classroom area, toilets, meeting room,
and covered outdoor area. We’re proud

to announce that this is the most energy
efficient school building in the UK.
The energy efficient technologies within
this Schoolhaus building create a system
which is carbon neutral, verified by an
exceptional EPC rating of A+ -83, and the
building’s status as the UK’s most energy
efficient school building.
At the heart of Schoolhaus is our
energy first, sustainable design philosophy
which translated into an affordable
and ultra-efficient built environment
for Chalgrove Primary School, without
compromising the performance of the
building; it is a new philosophy with values
and design components which we believe
will become, in time, de facto.
This Schoolhaus was built off-site in our
factory, and erected on-site at Chalgrove
Primary School in just one day.
Project by project, our design and
delivery of Schoolhaus improves, we
expected the Schoolhaus at Chalgrove
Primary School to be highly energy
efficient (A+), but we didn’t assume that it
would be more energy efficient than our
Schoolhaus at Palatine Primary School
(A+ -77, the UK’s former most energy
efficient school building).

What various methods/projects have
you adopted to make your organisation
more energy efficient?
The Chalgrove Schoolhaus is
aesthetically impressive (with its cedar-clad
exterior walls and roof perfectly covered
with integrated solar PV), but the real
power of the concept are the intelligent
technologies concealed within:
•
•
•
•

Mechanical Ventilation and Heat
Recovery (MVHR)
LED lighting
Occupancy and motion sensors
controlling both lighting and heating
Lighting, heating, and cooling
systems all powered by the roof’s
solar PV panels.
Why did you choose this route?

Schoolhaus gave Chalgrove Primary
School a rapid solution to solve their
capacity issues, as well as the opportunity
to generate clean energy and revenue for
the school.

RESULTS AND BENEFITS
What benefits have you gained?
The Schoolhaus at Chalgrove is the UK’s
most energy efficient school building.

Energy Champions Awards Winner
By how much have you reduced your
carbon footprint?
Now that net zero building is
recognised as an achievable, affordable
reality rather than just an aspirational
concept, it’s not logical to specify anything
else for new building projects. Those that
do are locking in a lifetime of avoidable
carbon dioxide emissions and a lifetime of
unnecessary energy expenditure.
These outcomes are excusable in the
absence of viable alternatives, but hard
to defend now that the net zero energy
building is a reality. Over the 60-year design
life of this building, even projects built to
current energy performance best practice
would lock in 3.5 tonnes of CO2 emissions
and over £4,000 of energy spend per m2.
Whereas this building costs nothing to
power, and has net neutral CO2 emissions.
Additionally, this building was built
off-site and assembled at the school,
which certainly had its carbon reducing
advantages: waste was almost completely
eliminated and wood offcuts were used
as biomass fuel to provide space heating.
Deliveries were minimised because
products arrived in bulk, rather than
individually to disparate sites. Materials
were received without packaging which
saved time and waste. And a local labour
pool travelled a short distance to one site.
Are you offering value for money as
well as a cleaner environment?
Typically, a new Schoolhaus can be as
much as 20% cheaper than competitors’
products before any allowance for the
revenue generated from energy and
subsidies in the form of Feed-in Tariffs from
the fully-integrated solar PV roof.
This building is not only sustainable, it
generates clean energy, and revenue for
the school:
•
•
•

COMMUNICATION/
PARTNERSHIPS
The school kept its stakeholders
informed about their new build through
their fortnightly newsletter and they
announced that they ‘loved their new
classroom’ through it.

Do you try to involve them in
influencing and participating in your
energy projects?
Although the following quote comes
from a headteacher at a different school, it
emphasises the legacy that a Schoolhaus
building can create: “It is no exaggeration
to say that our new Schoolhaus building
has transformed our school. The building
was designed with our needs at the
forefront and UK Energy Partners did not
deviate once from that principle. As Head
Teacher I particularly appreciated the
honest interactions between myself and
the company, interactions that resulted in a
fantastic school building.
The building itself is a tremendous
source of new learning for the children
and families at the school; energy
efficiency, creation and conservation
have become regular conversation topics
amongst our Infants.” – Jack Newton,
Headteacher, Grasvenor Avenue Infant
School, and Underhill Infants School and
Children’s Centre
Have you involved other key
stakeholders, energy organisations and
the public in general?
The Schoolhaus on-site erection
began during term time, which gave the
children a chance to watch their new
classroom being built.
“As a client I can confirm that UK Energy
Partners are fully competent in what they
do. A great level of professional approach,
timely delivery, very high quality, within
budget, and with easy communication.
It’s a real pleasure to deal with UK Energy
Partners, I highly recommend them for any
similar involvement. And I will use them for
my future proposals.” – Miladin Stevanovic,
Building & Compliance Surveyor at London
Borough of Barnet Council.

EXTRA INFORMATION
We’re committed to designing,
manufacturing, and installing new buildings
that surpass the “net zero” standard.
Chalgrove is the latest recipient of
Schoolhaus; with a new building that’s truly
A+, top of its class.
Key stats:
•
•
•
•
•

NIBSC Solar PV
Project
Environment and Energy Manager
Jude Hughes, has over the last seven years,
achieved the following headline figures at
the National Institute Biological Standards
and Control (NIBSC); a large and energy
intensive Government Research Institute:
•
•
•
•

About NIBSC
NIBSC is a global leader in the
characterization, standardization and
control of biological medicines. NIBSC plays
a major role in assuring the quality of such
medicines worldwide through the provision
of biological reference materials, by testing
products and carrying out research. Expert
scientists also provide advice on a routine
basis and also in response to emergencies
for the Government.
As such NIBSC, a highly specialized
Institute with predominately laboratory

28

environments, is an energy intensive
organization; but led by Jude, staff have
worked hard to reduce its impact on the
environment through numerous energy
saving projects. A priority has been to
tackle older inefficient equipment from
the 1980s built site.

of the best potentials for investment and
it represented NIBSC’s first stride into
renewable technology. The Environment
and Energy Manager put together the
business case details for the proposal and
presented the option to the SMT; gaining
their endorsement for the project.

Business Case

Project Challenges

Jude has brought numerous ideas to
the table and managed many site energy
projects (see examples in supplementary
information). The project management
process, following PRINCE 2 methodology,
involves “selling” business cases to the
Senior Management Team (SMT). Projects
are judged on criteria such as: budget
and savings in energy, carbon and overall
payback. The Institutes approach to
sustainability and energy savings is all
down to Jude’s endeavors and her ability
to get staff onboard and present a robust
business case.

The NIBSC Solar PV Project hit the UK
solar industry at a very turbulent time;
as several Government consultations
commenced that were likely to have far
reaching effects on the industry. This
included the Government removing the
option for preliminary accreditation where
organizations could essentially hold the
Feed in Tariff (FIT) rate prior to solar
projects commencing. And secondly a
Government consultation was proposed to
reduce the FITs by 87% which would have a
significant impact on solar projects payback
as well as the overall UK solar industry.

Jude instigated a Specific Opportunities
Assessment to investigate longer term
investment opportunities for the Institute
in order to continue the momentum for
energy saving.

As a result of these uncertainties in the
Solar Industry the Environment and Energy
Manager decided to adapt the initial project
proposals in two main ways. Firstly seeking
to gain an increased budget, to purchase
a greater number of panels in order to
maximize the investment opportunity due
to the changing market and it was likely to

From the different areas assessed
the Solar PV Project was identified as one

Energy Manager Magazine • April 2017

Energy Champions Awards Winner

overnment – NIBSC
be a one off opportunity. And secondly,
Jude saw the roof space as an asset, and
sought to change the panel specification
to essentially double the potential output
from 150 kW to 300 kW panel size.
Nick Carpenter, Business Development
Manager, 5D Group: “The installation of
the Solar PV arrays at NIBSC faced differing
challenges due to the delicate nature
of the site and its unique requirements.
These were overcome by liaison with the
relevant departments and working together
with the principal contractor and site
project management team with a series of
meetings prior to the start of the project.
Further challenges include the
consultation process for the Feed-in-tariff
brought about by the Government prior to
the start of the project. The consultation
proposed cuts to Government support for
Solar PV. This affected the supply chain and
the time available to complete the project.
More than ever we required a great deal
of communication, facilitation from the
client and extended hours on site. Potential
issues with the Solar PV and Generators
were highlighted. Following meetings
with the site engineers we installed relay
switches to ensure the PV shuts down and
stays off when the generators are working.
Compliance for this was also required by
UK Power Networks. The installation ran
smoothly due to the communications
between the parties involved.”

Complexities of
the Project
The project commenced late FY15/16
and incorporated work on seven different
buildings across the site as well as internally
in the relevant plant rooms.
The project had its own complexities.
Due to the importance of continuous
electrical supply to the site and the
specialist nature of scientific work carried
out there; power supply and its security
was crucial. It was essential that the
project provided both grid resilience and
full integration with site wide emergency
backup generators.

The site has a complex layered system
of power; including interface with two
concurrent connections to the National
Grid including alternative external mains
supply as well as the site wide internal
backup generators.
This added difficulty to the project,
and a robust strategy had to be developed
to cope with this arrangement and give
confidence to those managing the power
supply. As well as give confidence and
reassurance to SMT along with scientific
staff that the project would not disrupt
working practices.

Project Specifics
The Solar PV Project involved
installation of a 447 kW array across seven
south facing roof spaces. And in total some
1,490 roof mounted solar panels were
installed. Larger 300 kW output panels
were used, to maximize the potential to
generate electricity.
Calculations carried out by the Solar
Company prior to installation were used to
produce the estimated output of 441,000
kWh per annum based on the number and
size of solar panels installed.
This amount of energy generation
equates up to 10 % of the sites annual
electricity requirement.

Energy Savings
The estimated achievable output
was profiled, using project specifics as
well as local area and weather conditions,
to give projections across a typical year.
A total saving of £2.7 million was estimated
across the 20 year project lifecycle, with a
7 year payback.
These savings will be realized from
three main sources over the 20 year
period. Firstly off-setting grid electricity
which will give estimated savings of
£1,959k; this takes into account electricity
price increases of approximately 8 % which
is exactly what has been experienced at
NIBSC in the last 5 years.

Another financial benefit will be
the FIT payments, held by preliminary
accreditation, during the project to ensure
the most favorable rate for the Institute.
These are index linked to inflation at 3%
per annum and will bring £705k over the
20 year period.
Plus savings from carbon tax
abatement, including 3% increase which we
have seen from the Government over just
the last year and will save £93k.
Reductions in carbon emissions have
also been a key incentive to adopting this
project and are estimated as 204 TCO2
saved per annum.
This first step into renewable energy
has been very well received by NIBSC staff
and has not only generated a lot of energy
but also generated a lot of interest!

NIBSCs Commitment
NIBSC was conscious of its
responsibilities to reduce energy and
carbon, and made a brilliant appointment
in Jude. Jude was immediately able to get
both SMT and staff buy-in to a raft of low
and minimal cost improvements.
Subsequently Jude developed
business cases for a series of capital
projects, also being highly successful,
leading to a reduction of £963k and
making significant reductions to the
Institute’s operating costs at a time of
austerity. The credibility and confidence
built was key to obtaining buy-in for
significant investments.
A prime example is the Solar PV
Project which we expect to generate £2.7
million savings by end of its lifecycle. An
additional less tangible benefit has been
the considerable staff goodwill that our
energy projects have generated which
has enhanced the Institute’s reputation
for corporate responsibility, and helped
with recruitment.

Energy Manager Magazine • April 2017

29

Product Showcase

VENTURE LIGHTING EUROPE LAUNCHES
PROFESSIONAL FLOODLIGHT

E

uropean lighting
manufacturers and
specialists, Venture Lighting
Europe, has launched VFLOOD,
a new professional LED
Floodlight range designed for low
maintenance in corrosive environments.
Venture Lighting has launched the
VFLOOD to offer a longer performance life
and the design is perfect for use in
high corrosive environments
including swimming
pools, coastal
areas and

offshore environments. The design is
low profile and features a variety of
usage benefits, including high energy
saving capability.
As part of Venture’s OEM product
range, the Professional VFLOOD Floodlight
is manufactured from a galvanized steel
body with extruded aluminium side
panels, which are spray plastic coated
to a thickness of 60-80um. The modules
incorporate individual aluminium heatsinks
offering thermal benefits and improved
corrosion resistance.
VFLOOD comes in a range of wattages
from 55W to 190W. The floodlight has
a rated life of 60,000 hours and colour
temperature of 4,000K, with a colour
rendering of 80 (Ra).
The long life of the LED floodlights
ensures that the installation requires
minimal maintenance and eliminates the
need for regular replacements. As with

many of Venture’s LED products, VFLOOD
is also IP67 rated with impact resistance
of IK08.
Paul Mettham, Product & Marketing
Director at Venture Lighting Europe,
commented, “Our new VFLOOD has
been developed to provide customers
with new and improved benefits for
professional flood lighting. VFLOOD has
already become a sought after product
by our customers and we are confident
its energy saving benefits will provide an
improved environmental performance from
floodlighting fixtures”.
Venture has developed the VFLOOD
range to deliver significantly higher
performance levels using the latest in LED
technology. VFLOOD has been designed
for use in tough weather environments and
also includes a 5 year warranty.
www.venturelightingeurope.com

Stokvis Solar at
Birmingham International

T

he installation of a ten panel
Solar array featuring Stokvis
Energy Systems solar
collectors, to serve existing
facilities at Birmingham
International Rail Station, is being
assessed as a potential pilot for a wider
roll out of renewable energy across the
facilities operated by Network Rail and
Virgin Trains nationally.
The project at Birmingham International
- a station which serves both the NEC
and the adjoining airport - was jointly
commissioned by Network Rail and

Virgin Trains, with renewables specialist
ECO2SOLAR Ltd carrying out the installation
of the Stokvis solar equipment.
In addition to the 10 Stokvis DF100-6
Evacuated Tube Collectors - offering a net
absorber area 10.69m - the manufacturer
also supplied a Stokvis Solar Bloc Maxi
pump-station, and a Stokvis Resol BX
Plus differential temperature controller,
providing up to eight sensor inputs.
Richard Davis, the engineer in charge
of the project for Virgin Trains, commented:
“We chose to use Stokvis equipment
because I was already aware of the
company’s reputation for offering high
quality products to the health sector and
hotel chains; and have previously attended
a seminar on their systems and products.
This was always going to be a challenging
retrofit, and although there have been
some initial teething issues, Stokvis UK
Sales Director, Keith Howard has been
really proactive in resolving them. I believe
we are going to see real savings.”
The solar fluid contained within the
solar collectors is circulated by the solar
bloc pump station to a large surface area
coil contained within a 1000 litre stainless

30

Energy Manager Magazine • April 2017

steel thermal storage vessel which provides
a ‘pre-heat’ for the domestic hot water,
serving the station’s toilets and various
shops and eateries around the main
concourse linking to the airport and NEC.
This solar preheat system raises the
temperature of the incoming mains water
from a typical 10 degrees to around 35
degrees centigrade, although it is expected
to reach a figure of 55C to 60C in high
summer.
The pre-heated cold water feed water
then serves two existing gas fired water
heaters which then increase the DHWS to
60C. This arrangement results in the gas
fired water heaters not firing as regularly or
having to raise the cold water supply from
10C to 60C as was previously the case.
The installation also features a heat
meter to measure the output from the
panels in kilowatt hours to enable the client
to assess not just the benefit of the system,
but also the level of payment possible
under the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI).
www.stokvisboilers.com

Product Showcase

RINNAI creates ‘system
efficiency’ solution
for longer life

L

imescale can be a major
contributor to a loss of
efficiencies for water heating
systems of any type, so leading
continuous flow water heater
manufacturer Rinnai has taken steps to
maintain superior efficiencies throughout
the life of the system by incorporating a
proven limescale inhibitor that will
significantly reduce the impact of
limescale, thereby maximising efficiency
over the product’s lifetime.
Rinnai has teamed up with electrolytic
in line inhibitors, pioneers in limescale
inhibitor technology, to maximise
system efficiency on its range of A rated
commercial water heaters.
This electrolytic scale inhibitor kit
is for commercial hot water systems.
Independently tested, it is a
low-maintenance way to protect against
the damaging and expensive impact of
limescale on hot water systems.
Not only does it offer long lasting
protection against the formation of hard
limescale it also ensures bacteria has
fewer places to hide as a result of cleaner
surfaces, so in a secondary return DHW
system the problem of Legionella is also
heavily reduced. The independently tested
and proven technology protects capital
investment and occupier health.
The electrolytic zinc anode technology
used in this solution is mentioned in
the Part L Building Services Compliance
Guide, whereas “external to pipe” water
conditioning techniques are not.
The system’s low level zinc additions
change the water chemistry to inhibit the
formation of limescale by transforming
calcite in such a way that they do not stick
to the interior of the unit or pipework.
The system delivers value engineering
as it does not decay after dosing and its
effectiveness is not impacted by water
storage or agitation caused by passing
through a booster set.
Rinnai has recently supplied its system
efficiency systems for London-based
SGA Consulting, a specialist in low energy
buildings, after liaising with the practice’s
mechanical engineer Vivek Devan on
two restaurant projects. Devan says
“The Rinnai units are compact and their
smaller footprint both physically and
environmentally made them a good choice

here. The scale inhibitor technology was
also a factor.” Devan spoke with Rinnai
technical experts before specifying the
units and heard that Rinnai is actively
promoting and selling scale inhibitor
solutions following the successful results
obtained from various trial sites.
The electrolytic unit may be installed
in the rising main, before the water heater
and booster set. Capex cost savings are
probable because the rising main pipe
size is often a smaller diameter than the
hot and cold water distribution pipe sizes.
Therefore, just one inhibitor system will
treat the whole location, also offering an
attractive value engineering opportunity.
The inhibitor is widely specified
and installed in a range of sectors such
as manufacturing, hotels, retail and
supermarkets, healthcare and education as
well as public authorities.

For buildings using BMS systems, a
Pulse Splitter is an option that provides
water flow rate or water usage data
directly to the BMS from the water meter
in the system.
The inclusion of the electrolytic system
in Rinnai’s A-rated continuous flow water
heating systems delivers peace of mind to
installers and end users as performance
is maintained throughout the lifetime of
the appliances.
The scale protection units are available
in a variety of pipe sizes – large 67,76 and
108mm; medium 28,35,42 and 54mm;
and small 22mm.
For more information on the RINNAI
product range visit www.rinnaiuk.com

Energy Manager Magazine • April 2017

31

Out of darkness comes light.
When designing the world’s most advanced LED High Bay,
what good is industry-leading brightness, eﬃciency and reliability
if it doesn’t look awesome?

COOLER

ENERGY SAVINGS

>70%

From the patented ‘phase-change’
liquid core to the modular ﬁns that
provide more surface area, our unique
cooling system tackles heat eﬀortlessly.

LAMP EFFICACY

125Lm/W

BRIGHTER

Because the cooling system is so
advanced, we can maintain more
lumens out of the super-bright circular
LED chips, for longer.

IDEAL FOR LIGHTING:

STORAGE & DISTRIBUTION
WAREHOUSING
INDUSTRIAL
ATRIA
RETAIL / SHEDS

MODULAR

With a replaceable driver, and optional
plug-and-play LED chip, our ﬁxture is
future-proof. Giving users upgrade
options at end of life, making it
even more cost-eﬀective and
environmentally sound.

WATCH THE VIDEO
50,000
HOURS

IP65

DIMMABLE

goodlight.co.uk/gx1

EXTREME
TEMPS

Also available in ice white.

Give the Goodlight™ GX1 LED High Bay a complimentary trial run.
Register your interest to sales@goodlight.co.uk with ‘GX1 Trial’ in the subject line.
01276 691 230